


Me and You as You and Me

by shadowmaat



Series: Taking Flight [9]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bodyswap, Wingfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2017-09-17
Packaged: 2018-12-30 21:33:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12117672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowmaat/pseuds/shadowmaat
Summary: When Maul picked up the little figurine, all he wanted was a closer look. He wasn't expecting it to be a Force artifact that would cause him to switch places with Obi-Wan. Now stuck with each other's bodies they have to work together to fix things before word gets out, but another crisis pops up that just won't wait.





	1. Obi-Wan

Maul’s wings stirred up little eddies of dust as they entered the room. Obi covered his mouth to stifle a sneeze. It was the fourth room they’d explored since making their way to the lower levels of the Temple. Ostensibly they were supposed to be looking for more forgotten exits, but the truth was that Obi had just wanted to find something to distract his friend.

Molting had hit him hard, complicated by his horns, which had decided to shed at the same time. And his voice had started cracking, which made him even more reticent than usual. His emotions seemed to have gone into freefall, too. As good as his shields were- and they were some of the best Obi had seen- some of it had still leaked around the edges. Mostly grief and despondency over something. Qui-Gon had cautioned him not to push too hard and he hadn’t, but it was difficult to watch Maul suffer and know there wasn’t much he could do to help. Everything seemed to hit at once, but at least now he was starting to recover some of his old self.

“I’ve found something,” Maul said. “I think it’s still glowing.” His voice squeaked in the middle, but he seemed too interested in whatever was on the pillar he was examining to care.

“Glowing? That doesn’t sound good.” Obi moved to join him. “I don’t think anyone’s been down here for decades, possibly longer. Any batteries would have drained long ago.”

“It isn’t a  _bedside lamp_ ,” Maul said. “It looks like some kind of crystal.” He paused. “Can you hear that?”

“Crystal? Hear what?” Obi-Wan caught a glimpse past Maul’s wings of the object and saw him reaching for it. He grabbed his arm. “Wait, I don’t think you should touch-”

There was a blinding flash of light and something jolted through him, searing every nerve. He tried to let go, but his fingers were clamped around… around a figurine. He staggered back, knocking into Maul with a groan. Dizziness assailed him. Everything felt wrong and jangly. Even his connection to the Force felt off and he had the most abominable itch. Blinking to try and clear the spots from his eyes he reached back and hit feathers.

“Maul?” His voice sounded weird as he turned to see someone sprawled on the floor. Not Maul. Pale and human and familiar in a stomach-churning kind of way. He swayed on his feet, feeling a strong moment of dissociation as he stared down at himself.

He- or rather the he on the floor- sat up, rubbing his head. “I guess I shouldn’t have picked-” He froze, eyes widening as he clutched his- “Hair?! Where are my horns?!” He looked up and Obi-Wan locked eyes with… himself.

_Do I really look like that?_  He winced. “Maul?” His voice cracked on the word, confirming a suspicion he’d been trying to ignore. He held up a hand, marveling at the red and black pattern. His fingers- Maul’s fingers- were still clenched around a crystal figurine.

“Obi-Wan! What… What?” Maul scrambled to his feet. 

The surreality of the situation was still overwhelming. He tried to take a step back and caught his heel on something that sent spikes of pain up his- beyond his shoulder. He yelled, flailing to keep his balance, only to have Maul catch him.

“Don’t step on my wings! You’ll damage them!”

“Wings!” Right. Maul’s body, Maul’s wings. He clung to himself- to Maul- and moved his foot to free the trapped feathers. This was weird. This was  _beyond_ weird. Looking into his eyes and seeing an unfamiliar expression. Seeing the pimple starting to form on the side of his nose. Ugh. He looked away. “Yes. Right. Sorry.”

“What happened?” Maul demanded. “Why are you me and I’m- I’m you?”

Obi eased back, watching out for the wings this time. He held up the figurine. “We’re in the middle of the Jedi Temple which has existed here for thousands of years. The heart of it is a Force Nexus. The whole place is steeped in the Force and the history of the Jedi and Sith alike and you went and picked up  _this_.”

He took a closer look. Two figures fused as one. That was certainly telling. There was an inscription at the base, but he didn’t recognize the language.

“Fine. I picked up something I shouldn’t have.” Maul rolled his eyes. “I’ll just pick it up again and everything will go back to normal, right?” He made a grab for it.

Obi held it out of his reach. “We don’t know that for sure. We could make it worse!”

“Worse than this?!” Maul gestured at the two of them.

“Yes! Maybe.” Obi stuffed the figurine in one of his pockets and reached back, trying to scratch an itch. The wings felt like they were infested with fleas, but he knew it was just an effect of the molting. Knowing something and living with it were two different things, however. “These things are driving me crazy!” He half spun trying to reach the spot.  _One_ of the spots.

“You get used to it.” Maul was staring at his hands, but looked up as Obi bumped him with a wing. “Here, hold still.” He caught one of the wings, pulling gently to extend it, and then dug his fingers into the feathers and started to scratch.

Obi almost melted in relief, crooning as Maul found the exact spot that had been bothering him the most.

“We, um… we should… should go and find my Master,” he said, leaning into Maul’s touch. He could remember doing this exact thing for Maul and how embarrassed (and excited) he’d been by the noises Maul had made. Now that he was on the other end he understood them a little better. He also found that this body’s… reactions were informative. But  _was_ it Maul’s? Or his? Either answer was awkward, especially since it was his own fingers doing the digging. Technically. He moaned as Maul found another spot.

“He’s going to be furious,” Maul said.

“A little upset perhaps, but not furious. Qui-Gon rarely gets truly furious.” Obi realized Maul had stopped scratching and tried to look over his shoulder, but the wings got in the way.

“I’ll be punished.”

The words were so soft he almost missed them. He turned to see Maul cleaning bits of black fluff from his nails, head down and elbows tucked.

“You won’t be punished.” With deliberate slowness he reached out, resting his hands on Maul’s shoulders. The strangeness of the situation was forgotten as he tried to reassure his friend. “I promise you, Maul. Qui-Gon will be concerned for us, but he won’t be angry. He would never hurt either of us.”

“You mean he won’t hurt me as long as I’m you.”

Obi took a deep, centering breath. The Force was chaotic around him, streaked through with shadows he wasn’t used to feeling. The Light was dimmer than it should have been, but with a little extra concentration he managed to strengthen his connection to it and used it to send reassurance to Maul.

“He won’t hurt either of us no matter which bodies we’re in,” he said. “I promise.”

Maul flinched away from his touch. “If you say so.”

“I do. Now, come on, let’s go find him and hope he can sort this out!” He tried to sound confident for both of their sakes. And who knew? Maybe there would be a simple solution to this; there was a first time for everything.


	2. Maul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maul tries to help Obi figure out how wings work and they get help with their predicament from an unexpected source.

Every movement, every breath was unnerving. Maul hunched his shoulders, wishing he could sink in on himself. Or more accurately, sink in on Obi-Wan’s self.

For all that he often cursed his wings, he felt off-balance without them. He was also taller than he used to be. And he had  _hair_  instead of horns. The slightest draft seemed to ruffle it. He kept running a hand over the silky strands, telling himself it was just an attempt to try and make it behave rather than because he found the motion soothing. The padawan braid he’d admired for weeks was a constant tickle on his neck. How did Obi-Wan stand it?

Then there was the Force. It was near-blinding in its sense of Light, of life and vitality and joy as he’d never known it. The Force was  _singing_  to him. There was no struggle for dominance because it welcomed him without reservation. He slouched lower, knowing that it wasn’t really him that the Force was calling to, it was Obi-Wan. Why would the Light want anything to do with something like him?

“Qui-Gon will know what to do,” Obi-Wan said, sounding less certain every time he repeated the reassurance. “You’ll see.”

Hearing his own voice with an inflection he'd never use was odd, to say the least. Everything about the situation was strange and terrible and he could feel Obi's heart speed up in his chest at the thought that it was all his fault.  _He'd_  touched the figurine.  _He'd_  awakened whatever magics lay dormant within it. And  _he_  might have doomed them both to live the rest of their lives like this. He was sure this was the excuse the Council needed to override Qui-Gon Jinn's wishes and have him jailed or cast out for good. Given that he’d hijacked his padawan’s body, Maul wouldn’t be surprised if Qui-Gon agreed with it, too. He only hoped that Obi-Wan wouldn’t have to suffer the same fate.

“Wings,” he warned, dragging the appendages up as they started to spread out yet again.

“Sorry! Sorry. We need to go this way,” he said, dodging down another corridor.

They were doing their best to avoid running into anyone. That would involve a charade neither of them was up to. He lifted his hand, smoothing it over his hair again. How would Obi react if he did this when they were in their proper bodies? Would he like it? Or would he be annoyed? Not that he’d ever  _try_ , of course. No need wasting time on ridiculous fantasies. He tucked his hand back into the wide sleeve of Obi’s robe, ignoring the pale flash of skin.

He'd never appreciated just how  _different_  he was until he saw himself through Obi's eyes. Suddenly his bold coloration, which he’d always liked, seemed shocking. Aberrant. It drew the eye in a way he’d never noticed in his own skin. 

Then there were his wings, which were massive and impossible to ignore. They also emphasized how small the rest of him was. He knew his own strength, but from the outside he looked scrawny. Weak. Pathetic. All the insults his Master had thrown at him seemed evident as he walked behind Obi-Wan, occasionally reaching out to tug the wings back into place. Monster would also fit, now. Freak.

He took a deep breath, staring at the floor. “Obi-Wan, I apologize for-” 

“Master Nu!”

Startled, Maul looked up and made a futile grab as Obi-Wan tried to run down the hall towards an older human woman.

_"Obi, no!"_  Cussing under his breath he gave chase, wincing as he watched his wings spread out to bang against the walls.

"Kriff! I mean, ow!" Obi faltered, clearly trying to drag them back into place.

"Careful with those!" Maul caught the wings near the shoulders and folded them back into place with practiced ease.

The woman, whose graying hair was caught in a severe, stick-pierced bun on the back of her head, had stopped to watch them.

"Padawan Kenobi," she said, nodding to Maul. "And... it's Maul, right?" She looked at Obi-Wan, brows raised in obvious interest.

"What? Oh, right. Yes." Obi nodded.

"I apologize for my friend, Master Nu," Maul said, doing his best to mimic Obi at his fussiest. "I'm afraid he gets a little carried away sometimes."

Obi glanced back, frowning at him.

"That's quite all right, Obi-Wan. It's only to be expected when he spends so much time hanging around you."

She was smiling at both of them. Was that a joke? How would Obi respond? He opted for ducking his head and smiling. “Yes, well...” 

“Hey, I- he’s not that bad.” Obi was frowning. It made for a severe expression on Maul’s face. Until recently that would have been a good thing.

The Master’s smile softened. “Of course not, Maul. While his  _studies_  may be lacking he always watches out for his friends. Don’t you?”

Maul glanced at Obi. “Yes?” He reached up to smooth his hair, but caught himself. “Uh, as I was saying, we didn’t mean to interrupt you. We were just on our way back to O- m-my Master’s.” He winced at the slip.

“Actually, Master Nu,” Obi nudged him with a wing. “We were wondering if you could help us with a translation.”

He felt the blood drain from his face. “No, we weren’t!” He grabbed a handful of feathers and pulled, knowing it would hurt.

Obi yelped, trying to shake him off. 

“We should leave her alone,  _Maul,_ ” he said, stressing the name. “We need to talk to Qui-Gon first.”

Yellow eyes glared at him. “Master Nu is the Master of the Archives,  _Obi-Wan._  She’ll know more about this than Master Qui-Gon.”

“Boys.” Master Nu raised her hands in a placating gesture. “This isn’t another one of your pranks, is it, Obi-Wan?”

“My what?” Maul stared at her.

“No, it isn’t.” Obi-Wan held up the figurine. “Do you think you could help us with this? Please?”

Maul’s hands felt clammy as the librarian leaned in to get a closer look. He wanted to grab Obi and run. Or fight. Or something. He knew  _of_  the Temple’s head librarian, but that didn’t mean he trusted her. He wasn’t sure why Obi did, especially since he was in Maul’s body and Maul would never have brought himself to her attention like that.

As if sensing his thoughts Master Nu looked at him. Their eyes met and he threw up the strongest shields he could, stretching them to try and cover Obi as well. It felt- tingly. Warm. Obi’s wings flexed in apparent response and he leaned closer to Maul until they were touching.

“Hmm,” Nu said, still studying them. “Let me guess: you found your way into the restricted levels, discovered an artifact, and decided to pick it up.”

Maul froze. She was looking right at him. Would they be punished now? Obi-Wan shouldn’t be hurt because of  _his_ mistake. He swallowed.

“Yes,” he said, focusing on the sticks in her hair. “Maul picked it up before I had time to warn him.”

“It was a mistake,” Obi-Wan added. “It wasn’t anyone’s fault.”

Nu snorted. “Trust me, I’ve heard my fair share of stories from others who made the ‘mistake’ of touching Force-bound artifacts.” She squinted at the statue Obi held again. “The writing looks familiar, but I’ll need to do more research if you want a translation. If you’ll join me?” She started to walk.

Obi looked at Maul as if he hadn’t already made the decision for them.

“I am aware of some of the stories that circulate about me,” Nu said, turning to wait for them. “But Obi-Wan can attest that I have never once eaten a student.” She smiled at Obi. “You’ve gone to great lengths to avoid meeting me before now, but don’t think I haven’t seen the log of your many visits to my library, Maul.”

“Me?” Obi’s wings twitched as he stared at her. “What?”

Maul could feel a hot blush creeping across his face. He thought he’d been so careful! “I hope that hasn’t been a problem, Master.”

“Of course not! In fact I’m hoping you might learn from his good example.”

He wasn’t sure how to respond so he sighed, touching his braid. It was something he’d seen Obi do often enough when faced with criticism. “Yes, Master,” he said.

The walk to the Archives was fast and mostly silent. Nu led them to a small study room and had Obi-Wan place the figurine on the table before she set about gathering datahedrons and even some old books.

“I should also point out that unless it poses a threat to the Temple I’m willing to keep any information you share with me a secret,” Nu said, settling herself in a chair. Maul placed a stool he’d retrieved from the main room beside Obi-Wan before settling down himself. He leaned against the cushioned back, relishing the small comfort it provided.

Obi, meanwhile, sat on the stool as if he expected it to bite him. Maul tried to smother the smug feeling of see how you like it. He’d finally relaxed enough to lower the shield he’d raised to prevent Nu from prying, but there was still an odd almost-hum at the edges of his perception. Like an open comm line, but completely different.

When neither of them answered, Nu sighed and turned her attention to the inscription, copying it down in neat print before consulting one of the books.

“As I said, you’re far from the first people to run afoul of one of these things,” she said. “The effects can be incredibly varied, and contrary to popular belief not all of them are of Sith origin.”

Maul sat a little straighter at that. It hadn’t occurred to him that the Jedi might keep anything belonging to the Sith. Wouldn’t they keep it locked away, though? Not in a dusty room that anyone could access? He glanced at Obi-Wan. If the Dark Side was involved in this, the chances of them being able to fix it became much worse.

Oblivious to his sudden spike of fear, Nu continued. “In fact I believe it was a Jedi artifact that reduced Mace to youngling age not long after he achieved the rank of Master.”

“Mace  _Windu?!”_  Obi almost fell off his stool. “Master Windu was a youngling?”

“We were all younglings once. Even me. Even Master Yoda.” Nu chuckled. “But yes, Master Windu was reduced to the age of about eleven for about a week before we managed to untangle the spell and put him right again. And what a terror he was to deal with, too.” She shook her head. “We’ve also dealt with several reported claims of time travel, humanoids being turned into animals, at least one padawan who was stuck talking in iambic pentameter for a month, and one unfortunate case of bodyswapping.”

They both jumped at that.

“Bodyswapping?” Obi was clearly trying to sound casual, but the word came out strangled.

“What do you mean by unfortunate?” Maul asked, reaching up to rub the padawan braid between his fingers.

Nu looked up from her book. “Yes, bodyswapping. Although soul-swapping might be more accurate. That was before my time here, but I’ve read the accounts of it and it’s unfortunate because they never figured out how to swap them back.”

Maul couldn’t breathe. It felt as if all the air had been squeezed out of his lungs. Obi-Wan’s wings fluttered, knocking over a stack of datacards behind him. No. There  _had_  to be a way to reverse this! Guilt roiled in his stomach as whatever Obi-Wan had eaten for lunch threatened to come back up.

“This inscription, at least, appears to be a dialect favored by the Jed’aii, which makes it very old indeed.” She studied her notes. “If I’m translating this correctly it says  _‘Walk another path to gain understanding. Unity of hearts brings a desired return.’_  Although this word here,  _okan_ , could also mean ‘minds’ or ‘spirits’. Does that mean anything to either of you?”

Something in her tone made Maul think she already knew- or suspected- what had happened to them. They hadn’t exactly been subtle about it. He closed his eyes to concentrate on his breathing and could hear Obi-Wan doing the same beside him. He slowed until they were in sync and then Obi loosed a frustrated huff.

“What a load of cryptic-”

Nu cleared her throat.

“...stuff,” Obi finished. “Why can’t they just say what they mean?”

Maul opened his eyes to find Nu smiling. She’d removed one of the sticks from her hair and was tapping it against her cheek.

“The path to understanding is rarely straightforward,” she said. “Although walking another path is a common enough adage. If we  _assume_  this is a case of soul-swapping it just makes it a little more literal than usual.”

He nodded, not trusting his voice yet. She hadn’t said it was hopeless and this was a  _Jed’aii_  artifact, not a Sith one. Maybe there was still a chance. The part about a  _unity of hearts_  was whispering for his attention.

Thinking about Obi-Wan and hearts caused an odd flutter in his stomach that was nothing like his earlier guilt. Well, mostly not like it.  _Love_  as an answer to anything was too stupid to contemplate, even for the Jedi. He risked a sidelong glance at Obi, who was asking if reciting the same phrase at the same time would count for a unity of minds. He watched him reach up to grab a padawan braid that didn’t exist, belatedly turning it into a chin rub.

Watching his body performing Obi’s mannerisms continued to be strange, but for a second he imagined it was Obi’s thumb stroking his jaw and felt his single heart beating faster. Stupid, useless thoughts. Love  _wasn’t_  the answer and even if it was, well, he had no idea what his own feelings might be, but he was certain that Obi-Wan felt nothing for him.

Trying to distract himself he picked up the end of his- Obi’s- braid, turning it slightly to watch how the individual strands caught the light. Soft browns, warm golds, and bright coppers. There were beads woven into the tie, too. Each one had a meaning, although he’d never asked what they were.

He and Obi-Wan were so different. Different looks, different habits, different interests. Obi burned with the Light while he was mired in the Dark. Their lives held almost nothing in common. How could they ever achieve unity of any kind?

He heard Obi-Wan’s comm beep. It beeped again before he realized that for now it was his comm. He dropped the braid, avoiding the question in Obi’s acid yellow eyes as he fumbled with the comm.

“Uh... Hello?”

“Yes? Hello? Oh! Is this Obi-Wan Kenobi?”

The voice almost sounded familiar, but when he looked at Obi his brow was creased and a slight frown tugged at his mouth.

“Yes,” he said. “I’m Obi-Wan. Who is this?”

“Oh, thank goodness,” the voice said. “Is Maul with you? Young boy? Has wings? Master Jinn said he’d be with you.”

Maul frowned. He was sure he knew that voice, although he couldn’t place where. “Maul is here,” he said. “Why? Who is this? What do you want?”

“Me? No, it’s young Issa who wants him. She’s climbed a tree and won’t come down until she sees him.”

Maul stared at the comm, remembering the little Nautolan girl in the creche. The rest of what the Master was saying didn’t make any sense.

“Why me? I mean, Maul? Master...” He struggled to remember the Mon Calamari’s name. “Vik?”

“Correct! Very good! Master Vrik of Archix Clan. Just send Young Maul along to the Room of a Thousand Fountains and I’m sure he’ll get to her before the branch breaks, yes?”

Nu groaned, covering her eyes with a hand.

Maul was surprised to find he was already on his feet. “Yes,” he said, clipping the comm back on his belt with fingers that were suddenly nerveless. 

“Don’t worry too much,” Nu said, moving to unlock the study door. “Master Vrik has a tendency to exaggerate.”

Maul barely heard her as he brushed by, Obi following close on his heels.

“Who’s Issa?” Obi asked.

Maul shook his head and broke into a trot. The face he kept picturing wasn’t Issa’s, it was Kilindi’s. Her bright smile. The way the light danced off her dark eyes. The mottling on her head tentacles as she flicked one at him.

“Wait! I can’t- kriffing wings!” 

He heard Obi stumble behind him and turned back, pulling him into a half-hug as he shifted the wings back into place.

“Tilt forward a bit,” he said. “And keep the muscles tight. It helps to think of bad things at first. I always thought of my Master.”

“Your Mas-”

“We have to hurry. Kil-  _Issa_  might not be in real danger, but I... I can’t take that chance.”

“Let’s go, then.”

Obi caught his hand and for a moment the hum in the back of his mind seemed a little louder. Then they were dashing through the halls heading for the Room of a Thousand Fountains and a little girl who needed him.


	3. Obi-Wan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Maul and Obi-Wan to the rescue! And helping Issa just may lead to them helping themselves as well.

When Maul moved in to hug him Obi-Wan almost hugged him back. Luckily surprise froze him in place long enough to realize that what Maul was  _actually_ doing was moving his wings into a more comfortable position. Again. And giving him advice that he thought would be helpful.  _“I always thought of my Master,”_ he’d said. It was the casual tone that bothered Obi the most, as if what he was saying wasn’t a big deal. As if Masters torturing their padawans was commonplace.

It was a struggle to try and push his feelings out into he Force. There was a lingering whisper telling him that he  _should_  be angry and that Maul’s former Master  _deserved_  to be punished. However, what mattered more right now was getting to the Room of a Thousand Fountains. He didn’t know who Issa was beyond the suspicion that she was a youngling, but he’d rarely seen Maul so agitated.

He wasn’t sure what impulse made him grab Maul’s hand, but it worked to center him. Warmth flowed up his arm. Or was he the one sending the warmth to Maul? Either way his wings stayed tucked as they hurried through the halls. Seeing the looks on the faces of the people they passed certainly helped with that. Disapproval. Suspicion. Calculation. The biceps in his feathery limbs tightened a little more.

“I’m sure she’ll be fine,” he said, glancing at Maul. “Master Vrik didn’t sound particularly worried and it isn’t as if anything too terrible can happen to a- a youngling here in the Temple.”

Maul didn’t even look at him. Obi could almost see sparking off him like a static charge and reached out with his senses, trying to soothe it. He remembered the feel of Maul’s shields sliding over his own and how right it felt, even if the threat wasn’t real. Familiarity. Recognition. There was a part of  _himself_  in those shields that called to him. Now he tried to return the favor and give something back to Maul.

The Force felt... slippery in this body; stronger in some ways, weaker in others, and struggling against his intent. Now, however, it leapt out, wrapping around Maul. There was a moment of rightness and connection. Their eyes met and he caught the edges of- something- a hint that maybe there was more to this than just a girl in a tree and then-

“Oh, you’re here? Excellent, excellent!”

The connection snapped and they both turned to look at the tall, slightly rounded form of a Mon Calamari in color-stained robes.

“I see you’ve brought a friend this time,” the Master said, rotating his eyes. “Yes, we’re never too old for the Buddy System, are we?”

Maul pulled his hand free of Obi’s grip. “Master Vrik, what about Issa?”

Vrik gave a throaty chuckle. “Young Issa climbed a tree to ask a bird if it knew you,” he said, looking at Obi. “Come along! Mustn’t keep her waiting!”

They followed, although the bright chatter of young voices would have indicated the right direction anyway. Obi wasn’t entirely surprised to see that the tree in question was an ancient, gnarled jogan. He could remember climbing it himself as a youngling, seeking refuge (and snacks) in its branches.

A group of initiates was chasing each other around the base of the tree, but as soon as they saw Obi they swarmed him, asking questions, grabbing at his wings, and petting whatever bits of him he could reach. He backed away until he bumped into Maul.

“I can see her.” Maul pointed. 

Obi looked up to see a small blue-green lump in the crook of a high branch. It looked like it might be a Nautolan.

As if sensing his attention the Nautolan waved her arm, almost dislodging herself. Maul lunged forward and froze, the younglings scattering to one side.

“I’m sure if you fly up and retrieve her she’ll go quite willingly,” Master Frik said, one eye on Obi and one on Issa. “And I must admit it would be quite a treat for the rest of us as well!”

 _“Fly?!”_  Obi was embarrassed to hear his voice squeak.

“He can’t,” Maul said, still watching Issa. “They aren’t strong enough.  _He_  isn’t strong enough.”

There was a bitter edge to his voice that made Obi’s wings twitch. Again there was a sense of something  _more_  hovering just beyond his perceptions. 

“Oh? Oh, well, I suppose the usual methods will work just as well, right?” Master Vrik poked Obi’s arm. “Go on then, Young Maul. She’s waiting for you.”

The pressure in the back of his mind seemed to increase as he and Maul approached the tree.

“Can you do this?”

“I’m not sure,” he admitted, looking at the network of branches they’d have to navigate. As much as he loved Maul’s wings he hated having to deal with them himself.

“You will.”

It was a tone that brooked no argument. Nodding, Obi stepped forward, searched for handholds, and began his ascent with Maul close behind him.

The climb was one of the more grueling experiences of his life. Maul’s body was heavier than he expected, contrasting with his memories of having easily carried him up from the lower levels of the temple back when they’d first met. His wings kept getting snagged, he’d somehow managed to gouge the trunk with a horn that resulted in sticky sap congealing- and itching- on his head, and while Maul was in superb shape, Obi’s own habits didn’t quite match to what his new body was capable of. At least he hadn’t fallen yet. Maul was offering a lot of help and they had a small but enthusiastic cheering squad below, which helped more than he expected it to.

In between swearing, disentangling himself, and climbing ever higher, Obi found his thoughts circling back to their encounter with Jocasta Nu. She seemed far more knowledgeable about their situation than he liked, although she’d also been an invaluable source of information. How was he supposed to  _unite_  with Maul, though? The unfamiliar echoing thump against his ribs from Maul’s second heart wasn’t enough to distract him from imagining at least one way they could be “united.” He highly doubted that a bunch of fusty old monks, the ones who had  _written_  the current Jedi Code, would then make physical pleasure a requirement to break a curse.

“You came for me!”

He looked up to find a young Nautolan girl beaming down at him. She had several colorful ribbons wrapped around her head-tails. Several ribbons and one fluffy black feather. Another piece of the puzzle clicked into place.

“Hello there, little one,” he said, returning her smile. 

“We’ll get you down safely, Issa,” Maul added. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

It was enough of a non sequitur that Obi shifted around to get a better look at him. Despite all their exertion Maul seemed pale. Well, Obi-Wan’s skin was always pale, but now it was more so than usual. He was still missing something important.

“I know,” Issa said. “Knight Maul will protect me!”

Maul flinched, a shadow of emotion crossing his face before Obi could identify it. Was it because of the title or something else? Wait, that was probably his cue, wasn’t it?

“Yes, little one,” he said, looking up at her again. “I’ll protect you.”

He climbed the remaining distance to her without mishap and caught the branch she was on, freezing when she squealed.

“You kept it!” She tried to pat his wrist, overbalancing as she did.

Another surge and Obi caught her, his hearts hammering wildly. Maul was beside him in an instant, bracing him so he wouldn’t fall, too. 

“Kilindi, are you hurt?” Maul’s voice was high and tight.

Issa whimpered, flinging her arms around Obi’s neck. “Down please,” she said.

“It’s OK, dear one,” Obi said, tucking her close. “I’ve got you.”

He took note of the fact that Maul had called her by the wrong name. He also noticed the bracelet on his wrist. It was a new addition to Maul’s limited wardrobe and he had ignored Obi’s attempts to find out about it. Now, however, he realized that it was actually a ribbon. A ribbon that looked a lot like the ones on Issa’s head-tails. Another piece clicked into place, but the picture was still far from complete. Obi glanced down.

“Now what?” He looked at Maul. “I can hardly carry her down like this and I don’t think she’d let me hand her off to you.” The stranglehold around his neck tightened, confirming his guess.

Maul stared at him and studied the tree below them. His gaze drifted to the open space around them. “I wonder...”

Obi-Wan suddenly had a very bad feeling, one that only got worse when Maul looked right at him.

“How good are you at controlled falls?”

Obi’s eyes widened. “What? No! I can’t! I mean, the wings-”

“All you have to do is spread them and use the Force to slow yourself.”

“Maul, there’s no kriffing way-”

Issa wriggled in his arms.

“Uh, I- I mean I can’t, Obi-Wan! I don’t know how!”

There was an ominous creak from the limb they were standing on.

“Then you’d better learn fast.” 

Obi stared at- at himself, really. Jaw clenched and eyes full of determination and bluer than he’d ever seen them.

“I think I can put it into your mind, if you’ll let me.” Maul licked his lips. “Please?”

“I... yes, of course.” He thought he knew what Maul intended and they’d catch hell for it later, but that was  _later_. And he trusted Maul.

Closing his eyes, Maul leaned forward until their foreheads touched, bringing a hand up to cup the back of his neck. Issa was still pressed between them, but the sounds from below faded, as did everything else.

Obi closed his own eyes, centering himself with ease. He could sense Maul’s presence in the Force, dark purples now streaked with gold. There were already several threads of connection between them and a few he recognized as his own, reaching out to the matching threads now housed in Maul’s body, just as Maul’s threads reached for  _him_. It was a chaotic mix, but it also made perfect sense on a level he couldn’t question.

He felt their minds brush against each other.  _There_  was the knowledge of how his wings worked. Ghosting along with it were flashes of a Nautolan girl, older than Issa, with a smile just for him and a laugh that made his hearts flutter. A Nautolan girl dying and it was his fault, his fault, his fault.  _I think I understand_ , he thought, and then everything got brighter and brighter.

_Unity of hearts/minds/spirits._

The thought was his. And Maul’s. And they  _knew_.

Obi staggered back, lost his footing, and managed to grab an overhead branch before he fell. He was dizzy and everything was off balance. Wrong. But also right. Issa was no longer clinging to his neck, but as his eyes focused he saw that he- no, Maul- had her.  _Maul_  had her. He almost lost his grip again as he realized they were back in their own bodies.

“Force bond,” he croaked, unable to stifle a giggle. “Why didn’t they just say Force bond?”

The limb they were on creaked and shuddered. Maul’s wings mantled and Obi quickly scrambled to a lower branch.

“Can you get down without me?” Maul asked.

“Yeah.” Obi grinned up at him, relieved to be able to look into those golden eyes again. “I’m good.”

The bond hummed between them, happy and reassuring despite the situation.

“Good. Hold tight, Issa.” Holding her tight and somehow still maintaining his balance, Maul took a running leap off the failing tree limb.

Obi’s breath caught in his throat and there was a collective “Ooooh!” from below as black wings snapped out. He could feel the pain through their bond as muscles not meant for flying were strained to their limit and he did his best to lend help as Maul slowed their fall with a Force push. Issa’s whoop was a mix of fear and delight.

It wasn’t graceful, but it worked. Obi had never seen anything so beautiful in his life. Maul landed safely, half-collapsing in a ring of younglings as he set Issa on the ground. His wings were sluggish, folding up slowly as Obi scrambled down the tree, dropping halfway in a controlled fall of his own so he could rush to Maul’s side.

“Are you okay?”

All of the younglings were screeching at this point, including Issa, who was also peppering Maul’s face with tiny kisses. He turned his head to one side to look at Obi.

“I will be, now.” He smiled.


End file.
